Passion shows

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Sep 13, 2008 by Rachel Whitten

By Rachel Whitten

SPECIAL TO THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

In Tom and Mary Norskov's home, every room reflects their passion for collecting.

Dozens of china cabinets are filled with glass pieces, organized into eye-catching arrangements of shape and color. The basement has two rooms filled with dog figurines and collectibles, showcasing their love for canines, especially Anya, their 8-year-old West Highland terrier.

The upper level houses dolls of every variety. Five trunks are filled to overflowing with doilies, and two curio cabinets hold antique perfume bottles.

Most of the items in their collections were found at garage sales, thrift stores and estate sales.

"You never know what you're going to find at a garage sale," Mary Norskov said. "It's sort of our hobby. It's fun to see what you can find."

The Norskovs moved into their southwest Topeka home in 1993. Then, Mary had just 315 dog figurines. Her collection has grown to 7,841, all of which are on display.

"With my dogs, I don't care what the value is," Mary said. "I just collect dogs."

The Norskovs aren't particularly concerned with the monetary value of the rest of their collections, either.

"It's only worth something when you sell it," Tom Norskov said.

And they have no plans to sell their painstakingly gathered collections. They continue to add to them by going to garage sales every week. Collecting is their passion.

"We're looking for glass to collect, while someone else is out there looking for stuff to put on eBay," Mary said.

Everything they find is out for view.

"We appreciate it," Mary said. "It's not in boxes."

Lately, though, finding space for new additions has been a challenge. They bought a china cabinet at a garage sale, but weren't sure where to put it. Then they realized they had room in the kitchen if they moved the TV stand.

They like having a television in the kitchen, so they bought a flat panel TV and hung it on the wall. Everything fit perfectly.

"We have to get creative," Tom said. "To keep it in some semblance of order gets to be a challenge. I like to have it out, not in boxes. I want to see it on display."

The last time they ran out of space, they built an addition to the house.

"We were thinking of looking for something bigger, and then we didn't want to move, so we added on," Mary said.

One of the rooms in the addition is the "museum room," so named because china cabinets line the walls, showcasing some Fenton and other glass art. The room's aesthetic appeal is striking because everything is arranged by color.

The Norskovs also collect Bing & Grondahl Mother's Day plates. Each year features a different mother animal with her young, and Tom has the entire collection, dating to 1969. The plates are meaningful to Tom because the company is in Denmark, where his family originates.

A few years ago, the Norskovs started finding Precious Moments figurines at garage sales.

"We have two china cabinets full of them now," Mary said. "It's always neat to find something great. It makes you feel great."

The Norskovs said they collect and take pride in their finds because it is what they enjoy.

"It's the fun of collecting and giving it a good home," Tom said. "It's our entertainment. You're preserving much of the past."

Rachel Whitten is a freelance writerliving in Topeka.